Discuss the theme of love in Romeo and Juliet:

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Introduction

Discuss the theme of love in Romeo and Juliet: Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is the most famous love story in English literary tradition. The love shown in Romeo and Juliet is a sharp contrast with the hatred between the two families. This, in a way, makes each seem magnified as they are opposite. The theme of love is shown throughout the play in many different forms, for example; the love between families, passionate love, love between friends and many different types. In the first scene of the play the theme of love is shown between the two servants Sampson and Gregory. Who clearly have some sort of bond shown by the light hearted banter about sexual innuendo: 'Tis true, and therefore women being the weaker vessels are ever thrust to the wall:' Showing they have some from of friendship because it is a fairly rude conversation and it is unlikely that they would talk about this sort of thing to people they were unfamiliar with. This is written in prose. Shakespeare may have written in this style to show the conversion between Prince, Lord Capulet and Lord Montague show they are of a higher class. This scene is written in blank verse, to break up the rhythm. The theme of love and loyalty carries on as the servants Sampson and Gregory have for their household in this case the Capulet household. They are willing to fight and, perhaps even die, for the respect and honour of the Capulet's. ...read more.

Middle

Furthermore Romeo was supposedly in love with Rosaline and now is suddenly in love with Juliet. Also they are both very young and I don't think they have enough life experience to fall in love properly, therefore I think it would be lust. Although it is possible that Juliet is not a mere replacement for Rosaline. The love Romeo allegedly has for Juliet is more authentic than the love he felt for Rosaline. In the famous balcony scene, both Romeo and Juliet declare their love for each other. The use of intense language emphasises their passionate love for one another, and their strong desire to be together. This is supposedly true love; though it is possible that it is merely lust. Romeo compares Juliet to the sun transforming the darkness into daylight because this represents a feeling of hope and beauty. 'In the east, and Juliet is the sun' Romeo uses the metaphor when he is describing Juliet because he feels she is the light of his life. And as if his life has been in darkness before meeting Juliet. This shows he has strong feelings or her because this means the feelings he has for Juliet are stronger than the ones he had for Rosaline. This also ironic because earlier in the play because Romeo uses a metaphor and compares Rosaline to the moon. This is ironic because the moon and the sun are the opposite too each other. Thus portraying that the feelings he has for Juliet are completely different. ...read more.

Conclusion

'O me, O me my child, my only life Receive look up, or I will die with thee:' This shows she would rather die than be without her only daughter. The bond between the two is clearly stronger than thought earlier on in the play. This shows guilt that Lady Capulet feels for not genuinely loving or having a bond with Juliet. It is very ironic that she doesn't realise how much she cares about Juliet until she is dead. When Romeo finds out about Juliet's 'death' he is distraught not knowing the Friar's Plan. He knows immediately that his life is not worth living without Juliet. 'Well Juliet I will lie with thee tonight' Nothing will stand in Romeo's way of Romeo trying to commit suicide. As the suicidal Romeo approaches the Capulet monument he meets her 'fianc�' Paris this shows that Paris's feeling for Juliet must not have been as superficial as first thought. He has gone to the monument to grieve for Juliet's death. He wants to tries to protect her grave even till his death. This is a very big sacrifice. And changes my earlier opinion that he doesn't love but does very much. Romeo enters the vault he sees Juliet led there; it shows Romeo has clearly matured enough to die for love. We have known from the very beginning of the play that the lovers were fated to die: 'A pair of star-cross'd lovers, take their life:' It is a sequence of near misses which cause the inescapable work of fate and yet Romeo screams against the stars against fate. ...read more.

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Romeo uses many exaggerated descriptions of feelings that make him seem a very boring and dreamy sort of person. However it is important to note that throughout a lot of the play Romeo is not being himself. I think that Romeo genuinely did feel love for Rosaline as his descriptions

Lady Montague Of Lady Montague we learn even less than of her husband. As one can take from her utterances in I, i she seems to be a peace-loving woman, who tries to stop her husband from fighting (I, i, 79)

He says, "The brightness of her check would shame those stars, /As daylight doth a lamp". He is saying that Juliet's fresh completion is more brilliant than the stars, the same way daylight outshines a lamp. Romeo and Juliet also use flower and bird imagery as flirtatious love talk.

She wants a life without physical love. She wants to remain "chaste." We also know from the invitation to the Capulet's party that "my fair Niece Rosaline" was invited. This is like bait for Romeo to go to the party.

Furthermore, at the time it was fashionable to use hyperbole. We can see that Romeo is exaggerating his love for Rosaline a great deal, which proves that his love for Rosaline is purely fashionable. This love is in sharp contrast to the love that Romeo will later feel for Juliet - true love.

Juliet does not know how to handle the news when she is told. She blames Romeo at first but then takes his side by saying that he only killed the man that would have killed him. Meanwhile Romeo arrives at Friar Lawrence's cell and finds out that he has been banished and that Juliet is weeping for him.

It was also fashionable at the time for young men to speak in Petrarchan verse, as Romeo does about Rosaline. It becomes obvious that this is just a fashionable love when Romeo immediately forgets about Rosaline after seeing Juliet. "Did my heart love till now?

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